John Boehner eyes California for GOP pickups

ST. PETE BEACH, Fla. — It’s one of the paradoxes of the congressional campaign: Deep blue California could be the key to strengthening Speaker John Boehner’s hand in D.C.

During a whirlwind week at the Republican National Convention, Boehner ventured 45 minutes outside Tampa to the Golden State’s lunch here to say that 12 competitive seats in the state could be key in maintaining his majority in Washington

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And for the first time publicly, Boehner veered from his tightly scripted campaign speech to lay out how seriously Republicans take their prospects in the state.

Boehner revealed to the large crowd in a tented room that he approached Majority Whip Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and the state’s congressional delegation with an offer: if they raised half the money for a get-out-the-vote effort, he would raise the other half personally.

In the end, Boehner dumped in $1.8 million to turn out Republicans in California to vote for Congress because “we’re probably not going to do well at the top of the ticket.” Four are incumbent members and the other eight are challenging Democrats.

“When the maps came out seven, eight months ago, people said, ‘Oh my God, Republicans are going to get killed in California,’” Boehner said at the Tradewinds Resort. “Well we went through the primary process, where all of our members worked to recruit good candidates, and once the primary was over, people looked up and went, ‘Oh, Republicans may have a chance.’”

California Republicans are a rare — but powerful — breed. Several of them hold chairmanships, including Reps. Darrell Issa, David Dreier and Buck McKeon. Plus, McCarthy — who is very influential in the California Republican Party — is the No. 3 House Republican.

Boehner threw some red meat at the ground, taking a swipe at California’s own Nancy Pelosi.

“We won 65 seats from the Democrats in the last election, but Nancy Pelosi only has to win 25 of those back for her to get her old job back,” Boehner said. “Now let me promise you something. The only way she’ll get her job back is to pry that gavel out of my cold, stone hands.”

Readers' Comments (5)

Wow. I've never seen an article more opposite of the realities on the ground. The truth of the matter is that the GOP is poised to lose big in California. The Dems used a new proposition to basically game the primaries.

The GOP will be losing the House this year. Partly because they've been so unproductive, partly because of Obama's coatails when he wins re-election.

Boehner said. “Now let me promise you something. The only way she’ll get her job back is to pry that gavel out of my cold, stone hands.”

BEFORE OR AFTER....YOU START....(OH IT'S TOO EASY...) OH....WHY NOT?......BEFORE YOU START.....OR......AFTER....YOU START.....THAT....SEEMINGLY....ALMOST IRRESISTIBLE.....CERTAINLY.....UNAVOIDABLE.....THAT TRADEMARK....THAT WORLD FAMOUS.....YOU KNOW........A MAN SECURE IN HIS MANHOOD......BLUBBERING-LIKE.....CAN DO....WHAT'S THE WORD......UHMMMM......RHYMES....WITH....SEEPING.....OH NOW I GOT IT....THAT STONE, COLD.....WEEEEEPING......YOU KNOW A PICTURE WOULD BE WORTH A THOUSAND TEARS....OOOPS.....WORDS......

.....(PERSONALLY I THINK SPEAKER BOEHNER IS A REASONABLE MAN)....BUT I JUST COULD NOT RESIST......SNIFFFLE...PEACE OUT.....

Given that Boener's intended führer recently compared California to Greece in an obvious slam on our state, I'm not altogether certain why the carpet-bagging bigot would be trying to get neocon blood out of us bankrupt turnips in order to convince us to vote against our own interests. After all, every step that Obama's administration has attempted to help the Middle Class has been filibustered by this worthless tool of the Wall Street boardrooms. Issa is no friend to people who are victims of gun violence - the gang bangers in Oakland have his policies and influence to thank for the murders and maimings there. And McCarthy is nothing more than a moneyed, cleaned-up Tea Party hack that would sell a crippled child to someone needing a donated organ if he thought he could turn a dime from the transaction.

Boener's buddies that make up the Republican base - the trans-national corporations - will have blown a billion dollars when all this is said and done to burn crosses on the White House lawn - and that billion could have been used to create jobs. They're using their wealth it to try to buy a country, and just like what happened to Meg Wit-less in the last governor's campaign here, California will bury them for it.

And if you think that California's foreclosure problems were bad now, go ahead and vote republican - and watch the entire West Coast collapse.